Bhubaneswar, Aug 5: In a bid to enhance punctuality and accountability among government employees, the Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Department has directed all District Collectors to implement biometric attendance systems across revenue offices statewide.

The move follows Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari’s surprise inspection on August 27, during which he found widespread absenteeism among staff. Frustrated by the lack of discipline, the minister ordered immediate corrective measures to ensure timely attendance.

According to the official notification, biometric systems must be installed wherever absent and integrated with the Biometric Attendance Portal developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC). Employees will be required to record both “Office In” and “Office Out” times. Failure to do so may be treated as absence for the day.

Departments have been instructed to monitor attendance data fortnightly. A delay of up to 30 minutes is condonable for three days a month; beyond that, one day’s Casual Leave will be deducted for every three days of late arrival. Exceptions will be made for employees on official duty outside the office premises.

The directive applies to all government employees, from junior staff to senior officials, with the exception of those working in the offices of the Chief Minister, Ministers, and the Governor’s Secretariat.

This initiative is part of a broader push to instill discipline and improve governance through technology-driven monitoring.

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